This Is Pretty Much The Only Thing Stopping Me From Eating a McRib

Last week, I did something stupid.
I waited for 4 days to see my doctor when I knew I had a UTI.
I was busy with work. With kids. With life.
So, I drank glass after glass after glass after glass of water and cranberry juice, hoping that it would magically cure the infection raging in my body.
It did not work. (Crazy, right?) And on Tuesday night, I found myself in urgent care doubled over with pain on my insides and burning with fever.
The doctor did the tests that they do when they suspect one has a UTI and determined that yes, I did have one and that infection had traveled into my kidneys. They wanted to give me a shot of an antibiotic that is so strong and so painful, it is mixed with a numbing medication of some sort. I was terrified because the nurse was saying things like “needle” “will hurt” and “burn.” She got me so riled up,by the time I turned over to take a needle to the ass, I was crying. A small cry, but still, crying.
It burned, but wasn’t as bad I expected. That was good.
I was asked to stay for ten minutes for observation for a reaction to the shot. The nurse said “if you feel itchy or if you feel your throat START TO CLOSE UP.”
Of course, that sent me into an Unnecessary Panic because my throat never closed up and I was fine.
I went home with instructions on how to care for a kidney infection, pain medication and a bottle of antibiotics.
When I returned home, I was greeted by a not so pleased husband.
“Don’t ever wait that long to take care of yourself again. That was NOT VERY SMART.”
About an hour after returning home, I felt pain in my back. This is what the pamphlet about kidney infections referred to as “flank pain” and I had been ordered to call a doctor if that happened.
The pain intensified. I got scared.
I got the chills and started to shake.
I made a call and was instructed to go to the ER.
I had to drive myself because the kids were home and PigHunter had to get up for work at 4am.
The ER was IN.SANE. Blood. Puking. Police officers. People everywhere, line out the door.
Two hours later and one scolding from the doctor who said my infection was “pretty bad” and instructed me to stay away from pretty much every food and drink that I love and to drink water water water so much water, I was on my way home, pretty confident I wasn’t going to die. Or lose a kidney. (But still very much in pain.)
And that’s pretty much all I’ve done since Tuesday– drink water.
(And pee.)
(And pee some more. Again and again and over and over again.)
If this experience has taught me anything it’s that cranberry juice does not cure infections and also, that I need to always must remember to take care of myself properly. Having a job and kids and a husband who loves my body won’t do me any good if my kidneys fail and I die.

30 thoughts on “This Is Pretty Much The Only Thing Stopping Me From Eating a McRib

  1. Madge

    You have properly scared into not waiting forever to take care of myself, like I usually do. I’m glad that you’re on the mend. That sounds like a terrible ordeal.

  2. Josefina

    Oh my goodness, that is so awful. FYI don’t worry, there is still time on the McRib. They are out there and SO FREAKING DELICIOUS. It will be a sweet reward. For not dying.

  3. Nancy P

    Wow. Just wow. That sounds like a 10 on the suckiness scale. And your husband is right. DON’T EVER DO THAT AGAIN.
    Thank God you are ok.

  4. Overflowing Brain (Katie)

    I have gotten that lecture about taking care of myself SO many times (in regards to UTIs especially). What our husbands do not realize is that kidney infections are 100% their own punishment.
    Hope you’re feeling better.

  5. Kristin Wood

    Hey, Y – you can keep a tincture of Uva Ursi Leaf extract in your home and treat UTIs as soon as you feel a twinge, and avoid the copay and everything. It’s available at any cruchy foods store or natural pharmacy or Whole Foods.

  6. Renate

    My doctor has told me not to come in for UTIs anymore, unless I suspect it has moved to my kidneys. I get them so often it’s ridiculous – during the winter half of the year I live on orange juice and cranberry extract capsules, as that seems to work for me.
    Hope you’re feeling better, I know what a pain UTIs can be… 🙁

  7. Lise

    I second the cranberry capsules. They work for me when antibiotics don’t. It’s a good idea to take them after sex and any time you get a bit dehydrated. And I’m so sorry you are going through such misery!

  8. Maggie

    Oh man, I feel your pain, though I never got as bas as you did…just horrible stomach pains that sent me to urgent care the morning after we returned from vacation (Saturday…felt the UTI coming on Tuesday…in a foreign country…)…I’m glad you are feeling better now!
    Were you drinking the pure icky-tasting cranberry juice? I now take a “shot” a day, since I’m so prone to UTIs–but I’ve been told time & time again, that’s the only cranberry juice that can make a difference. Ocean Spray? Might as well be drinking water…

  9. TJ

    I did basically the same stupid thing a couple of years ago. Never been so sick in my LIFE, I so feel your pain.
    It lead to my new crippling complex, where I make my husband promise to take away my bowl if I get sick, because I lived alone and was, well, essentially alone when I was so sick, and could only weakly push my bowl to the other side of the bed.
    I didn’t have insurance until just a couple of weeks ago, but when I felt a HINT of UTI a few months ago, I had him taking me to the urgent care RIGHT QUICK.
    Never. Ever. Ever. Again. I hope you’re feeling better, don’t rush it though. Fevers take way more out of you than you realize.

  10. mommabird2345

    I hope you feel better soon!!
    I’m always quick to take my kids to the doctor, but I always slow-drag when it comes to myself. Thank you for the reminder that moms need to take care of themselves or there won’t be anyone to take care of their families.

  11. Heather

    Ugh – that sounds miserable.
    They are all right though. My mom used to have a bad habit of waiting too long…until she wasn’t feeling good one day, finallllly let my dad call 911 and she ended up having a collapsed lung and was bleeding out into her chest cavity. Apparently a blood vessel on one of her lungs had burst. They had to do emergency exploratory surgery and she was out of commisson for a good 6 weeks. If she would have gone to bed, like she wanted, instead of letting my dad call 911, she would not have lived through the night. Lesson learned!
    Hope you feel better soon. Love your blog..think you and your family are adorable. 🙂

  12. mom, again

    yikes. My first kidney infection was while was pregnant with my first child. Hospitalised, so they could pump fluid into me, as well as antibiotics as well as the nurse coming to check to see I drank the whole quart of water in the pitcher every however too soon she came into check. too keep my fever down they put medication in to my bum, evidently it goes into your bloodstream through osmosis, and works faster than by going via the stomach. Horrible. But, that didn’t work.
    My fever got so high that so much fat got used up my pee got fatty. It came out melted and solidified when it hit the cool water in the toilet (YOUR WELCOME!) This is a very bad thing for anyone, but I was pregnant so something had to be done. They made me lay on what they called a ice blanket. It was plastic with tubes containing some fluid colder than freezing water. It was so cold. SO COLD. Imagine laying outside in the arctic in a hospital gown COOLD! But, it worked. My daughter survived the fevers with no harm done.
    UTI’s are taken seriously around here, even 26 years later.

  13. anncan2

    when I had a UTI several months ago my 10 yr old dtr told me “mom, don’t you know you are supposed to go pee after having sex to prevent bladder infections!” apparently she read the brochure at the dr.’s office on UTI’s.

  14. Amanda

    Sorry you are having this problem! UTIs SUCK! I get them ALL the dang time, but I take a cranberry supplement now… and every time I “feel” it coming I take triple the dose of the cranberry supplement. Cranberry juice and water doesn’t help me much either. I’m so glad you are on antibitics now. Get well soon.

  15. Lyndsey

    To be honest I am SUPER SUPER SUPER impressed you were capable of making it 4 days. You either have an unbelievable pain tolerance or I got UTIs faster/worse than you do, because generally its less than 6 hours between “hmmm I think I might be getting a UTI” to uncontrollable tears and inability to stand up. I actually have kind of a phobia about UTIs now because I’m fearful that they’ll happen at a time when I’m not able to get to a doctor within the 3-4 hrs window that allows me to still maintain a measure of dignity (i.e. middle of the night, traveling, etc).

  16. Corinne

    GAH. The flank pain. I had a month-long UTI once ending with a trip to the urologist because I was sure I had a chronic condition. Nope, urgent care just didn’t give me strong enough antibiotics. Nothing else will cure mine, and I’ve tried everything.

  17. S

    Next time get some Cystex and start taking it immediately. It has an antibacterial in it. You can also take Azo to kill the pain. But you should always go to the doctor, especially after you’ve had it turn into a kidney infection. (Been there – not ever doing it again.) And if you can’t get to your doctor, you can always go to a Minute Clinic (CVS) or a Take Care Clinic (Walgreens) unless you have Kaiser.

  18. Melissa @MBonn

    Did you drink real cranberry juice or the stuff from the juice aisle? Because I staved off a UTI from becoming a kidney infection for 3 weeks until my insurance kicked in by drinking the real (pretty nasty tasting) cranberry juice you find in health stores. And now I down it when I feel even a twinge and I haven’t had one in years when I used to get them all the time.
    Anywho, there’s my two cents. I’m glad you’re on your way to better and I hope you heal up and get your McRib quick!

  19. gaylin

    2 years ago this month my friend Anne ignored a UTI, she ended up in the hospital with Sepsis, which went to her heart and she had to have open heart surgery to have a valve replaced, still in the hospital recovering, she got C Difficile, ended up having her colon removed. Almost healed from that and got a fungal infection in her blood. Shortly thereafter we had her funeral. I miss her every day.
    DON’T ignore another UTI!!

  20. Suzy Q

    Kidney infection veteran, here. Flank pain, I know it well. I’ve had a kidney infection for two weeks. It took TWO WEEKS for a diagnosis (and to get an Rx) of something I already knew I had. Jeez. However, I have no idea why you can’t have a McRib. That makes no sense whatsoever.

  21. Deb

    It is so easy to put off taking care of our own health, although we would never suggest that someone else put off taking care of their health. I hope you have a speedy recovery. As far as the McRib goes, try Gardenburger’s BBQ Riblet – it’s a fantastic substitute for the McRib!

  22. norm

    I must respectfully wag my finger at your wonderful husband for a minute. That much pain and discomfort, I fling my wife over the shoulder (metaphorically) and haul her off to urgent care before they close. I’ve done the ER at off hours (blood, puke, police, indeed!) and I agree it’s not fun. Particularly because she says all her UTIs are my fault. But I listerined my tongue and every … *cough* OK, tmi. *innocent whistle*

  23. Leigh

    I agree with Lyndsey, I don’t know how you stood the pain for 4 days! I hit urgent care as soon as I feel the twinge.
    And for Norm: don’t use whitening mouthwash! It buuuuurrrrrrnnnnns. I wish I didn’t know that.

  24. Jessica

    I had a bad experience with the cranberry capsules – ended up making the wall of my bladder very sensitive. Essentially burned the tissue with the massive acidity of the cranberry capsules. But what did work was massive antibiotics to knock the infection down and then 6 months of a low grade antibiotics to keep it from taking root again. TMI IMO and all that.

  25. Carolyn

    Dude, DO NOT mess around with kidneys.
    If you lose a kidney, you do have the second, but if that is damaged, you likely wouldn’t die – you’d end up in a dialysis clinic three times a week for the rest of your life, unless you had a transplant. End of story. And dialysis sucks. My mom’s been on it for a year.
    Love your kidneys!!!!

  26. Jenny

    I too had a kidney infection while I was pregnant. I didn’t know I had a UTI — I thought having to pee all the time was normal 3rd trimester. The pain of the infection was so bad (for me, worse than unmedicated childbirth) that it started early labor. They were able to stop the contractions, but from then on, for another month, my baby had dropped and was so low down that it was like walking with a canteloupe between my knees. Never, ever again!

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